Skyline carriage



Aug. 3, 1954 E. o. NAUD SKYLINE CARRIAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 51, 1952 R 90 wa a m. n

' INVENTOR ERNEST o. .NAUD

ATTORNEY Filed May 51, 1952 E. Q UD SKYLINE C GE 2 Sheec. 2

INVENTOR v ERNEST NAUD Patented Aug. 3, 1954 SKYLINE CARRIAGE Ernest 0. Naud, Vancouver, British Columbia,

Canada Application May 31, 1952, Serial N0. 290,982

6 Claims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in skyline carriages which are particularly adapted for use in the logging industry.

The objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the carriage may be drawn by the load lifting line along the skyline in either direction, if desired, without having to reverse the carriage on the skyline in order to pass the hangers, and to provide means whereby the carriage stop normally mounted upon the line may be moved by the carriage by manipulation of a hand line from the ground, or by the hand line alone.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, part in section, of the invention.

Figure 2' is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing a keeper to prevent sheaves from running ofi the skyline.

Figure 4 is a plan view of same.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the load release.

Figure 6 is an elevational view part in section, of a modification.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a sectional plan view of the carriage base closure for the fall line weight open- In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral l indicates a skyline extending between spar trees or other anchorages, not shown, and which may be supported intermediate its length upon hangers 2 having rockingly mounted saddles 3 to which the skyline is attached.

Endwise movable upon the skyline l is a carriage 5 formed with spaced side plates I and 8. The side plate I is divided longitudinally to define a slot 9 to facilitate the placing of the carriage upon the skyline. A pair of tandem sheaves ID are freely journalled above the slot 9 and ride upon the skyline I. Extending from opposite ends of the carriage are lugs H supporting vertical pins l2 and each pin is rotatably mounted and is provided with a keeper It and a crank it. The keeper is resiliently held in position projecting closely below the skyline l' by a spring [5 to prevent the carriage from jumping from the skyline and said spring is adapted to permit said keeper to swing from under the skyline as it contacts a hanger 2 or its saddle 3. A pair of sheaves it, one only of which is normally operating, are freely mounted in the lower part of the carriage, and a pair of apertured lugs l9 are mounted above said sheaves, either of which may be used to anchor the outer end of a main line 20 which extends to a winding engine placed near the set or place where the logs are to be picked up.

A fall block 22 having a sheave 23, shown in dotted line, and a clevis 24, is cradled in the bight of the main line between the sheaves l8 and is adapted to be raised and lowered by the main line. The fall block 22 is provided at its upper end with a cone 25 and below the cone transverse stops 26. A conical socket 21 is mounted in the carriage to centre the fall block 22 in its uppermost position and below said socket two slots 28, indicated in dotted line, are provided in which a pair of latches 29 are swingingly mounted upon hinges 38. The latche are provided at their upper end with small rollers 32 which are adapted to project under the stops 26 to support the fall block in raised position and are also provided with vertically extending arms 33 which are resiliently urged toward the side plates 1 and 8 by compression springs 35 to grip the fall block as it reaches its uppermost position. Mounted upon the upper ends of the arms 33 are horizontal wheels 31 which project through the side plates 1 and 8 into contact with each other, see Figure 2. The wheels 31 are adapted to be spread apart as shown in Figure 5 when the carriage 5 reaches a horizontally tapered spreader 38, which is suitably secured to the skyline above the point of discharge of the load. The spreader 38 will spread the wheels 31 apart and release the latch rollers 32 from the stops 25 so that the fall block 22 may be lowered. A hauling line Al is connected to the fall block as at 82 and is carried outwardly to the loading point and thence back to the winding engine.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, a carriage is provided in which the load is adapted to be raised directly by the main line and the fall block as such is dispensed with. This carriage may be preferred to the carriage previously described for handling lighter loads, where the double purchase on the load is not necessary.

The carriage 5!) is formed with side plates 51 and 52 spaced apart at its lower edge by separators 53 which define a gap 5% which is adapted to be covered with a gate 56 having a longitudinal slot 51, see Figures 6 and 9, said gate being hingedly mounted on a pin 53. The carriage 5i is equipped with latches 29 and associated parts similar to those previously described. The main line passes over a single sheave 59 mounted between the side plates of the carriage and hangs vertically downwards therefrom, passing through a socket BB and out through the gap 54. Secured to the free end of the main line is a weighted member 62 having a clevis 63 at its lower end to receive the load to be carried and is provided at its upper end with a cone 53 having an annular stop 65 which is adapted to be engaged by the latches 29 when said cone is drawn up into the socket 60. A bell crank 6! is rockingly mounted on one side of the carriage which has a roller 38 on its upper leg 59, the lower leg it of said bell crank is coupled by a connecting rod H to a crank 12 on the gate 56. A spring i4 is fitted about the pin 58 to urge the gate 56 to close the gap 54.

The numeral 88 indicates a stop which is adapted to be slidably mounted upon the skyline l and locked in position thereon. The stop consists of a saddle 81 which rests upon the skyline and is provided with side plates 82 which straddle said line and are connected by a pin 83 and a second pin 84. A brake shoe 85 is loosely held by the pin 83 in position between the side plates and is slotted to permit it to move vertically into contact with the line to grip it and hold the stop from endwise movement. A forked pendulum 8'! is freely suspended from the pin 84 and is fitted with a freely rotating sheave 38 at approximately the same height below the skyline as the sheave 59 of the carriage, so that that portion of the main line extending between these two sheaves when the carriage is close to the stop 80, will be parallel to the skyline as shown in Figure 6, and that portion of the main line which extends beyond the carriage and sheave 88 will by virtue of its normal sag hold the pendulum to the left as shown. The upper end of the pendulum il'l is in the form of a cam 96 which engages the shoe and lifts it into bindin contact with the skyline as shown in detail in Figures '7 and 8. When the carriage is at a substantial distance from the stop 86, the angle of the main line in a vertical plane will be substantially similar on both sides of the sheave 83 so the pendulum will hang almost vertically, leaving the saddle 8i and the shoe 85 slightly separated, but the weight of the main line then carried by the sheave 88 will prevent the stop from moving lengthwise of the skyline. Secured at an angle from the pendulum 81 is a track Ell which is adapted to be engaged by the roller 68 to swing the bell crank 61 from the dotted line position of Figure 6 to the full line position shown, which causes the gate 56 to open clear of the gap 54, so that when hoisting a load ready for transport the member 62 may enter the carriage and be locked in elevated position by the latches 29. The hauling line Al for the carriage 56 is preferably secured to said carriage instead of to the load block as shown in Figure 1.

Mounted above the saddle 81 is a transverse sleeve 92 enclosing a pair of ball catches 93 which are urged apart by a compression spring 94 and mounted upon the side plates of the carriage is a pair of complementary lugs 96, see Figures 6 and 7, which are provided with opposed recesses 97 for the purpose of receiving the ball catches as the carriage engages the stop and for releasably holding said carriage and the stop in close coupled position, as shown in Figure 6.

The carriages 5 and are separately illustrated for the purpose of showing the lifting of 4 the load by a main line with a single purchase or with a double purchase lift, otherwise the stop and stop engaging parts will be used in both. In operation, both carriages would be operated in the same way.

Assuming the carriage to be locked to the stop 81] and the gate 56 to be open, the fall block 22 or member 62 will be lowered by slackening the main line 20. When the load is attached it is raised until the cone on said block or member is housed within the carriage and is supported by the latches 29 as previously described. As soon as the load block is locked in elevated position tension is applied to the haulin line 4| to return the carriage to the discharge point, the first carriage movement withdraws the ball catches 93 from the recesses 91 and as the carriage separates from the stop the main line 20 is slackened and the bell crank 6'1 and the gate 56 swing clockwise as viewed in Figure 6 and the gate then closes the gap 54, which, however, is not necessary at this juncture. When the carriage reaches the spreader 38 which is attached to the skyline adjacent the load discharge point the latches 29 are spread apart to allow the load to descend as the main line is payed out. Obviously when the load is bein lowered the gate 56 will properly close the gap 54 and will straddle the main line in said gap and the operater will hold the hauling line stationary. The load block being raised after the load is removed, will engage the closed gate 56 and the pull applied to the main line will take the carriage back to the stop 80. During this return movement, as there is no load on the fall block there is no need to lock said block in raised position, so that as the carriage is again held stationary at the stop slackening of the main line will allow the block to be lowered to pick up another load. Should it be desired to move the stop to a point closer to the discharge point or to the right, a hand rope 108 is tensioned to swing the pendulum 81 and its sheave 88 to the right so as to release the shoe 85 from the skyline and allow the stop to be pulled to the desired position by the hand rope. If it is desired to move the stop to the left; the carriage is moved into contact with said stop so that the ball catches 93 are engaged in their recesses 97. A tension is then applied to the hand rope Hill to release the shoe from the skyline and said rope is payed out as the carriage and stop are drawn to the left by the hauling line 4 I.

What I claim as my invention is:

A Carriage d pted to travel upon a skyline supported by hangers from above, said carriage comprising a frame having side members, a pair of tandem sheaves supporting th carriage upon the skyline, a load sheave journalled between the side members over which a load line is adapted to run and to which a load is adapted to be attached, a block having stops about its periphery, said block being attached adjacent the free end of the load line and adapted to be drawn up into the carriage, a pair of arms journalled in the sid members adapted to engage the block to support it when said block is in fully raised position, a hauling line for moving the carriage in one direction, said load line being adapted to move the carriage in the opposite direction, a gate tensioned to normally hold it to close the interspace between the side members, said gate having a crank operatively connected thereto adapted to b engaged by a stop member suspended from the skyline in the path of the carriage.

2. The combination with a carriage adapted to move along a skyline and a movable stop carried by said skyline, said carriage having a load line to raise a load and mov the carriage in one direction and a hauling line to move the carriage in the opposite direction, said stop having a saddle adapted to slidably engage the skyline, a shoe mounted below said saddle, a pendulum swingingly mounted from said saddle, a cam actuated by the swinging movement of the pendulum for moving the shoe to coact with the saddle and grip the skyline, and means extending from the carriage adapted to urge the pendulum to move the cam to gripping position.

3. The combination with a carriage adapted to move along a skyline and a movable stop carried by said skyline, said carriage having a load line to raise a load and move the carriage in one direction and a hauling line to move the carriage in the opposite direction, said stop having a saddle adapted to slidably engage the skyline, a shoe mounted below said saddle, a pendulum swingingly mounted from said saddle, a cam actuated by the swinging movement of the pendulum for moving the shoe to coact with the saddle and grip the skyline, a sheave mounted below the axis of the pendulum over which one of the carriage moving lines is adapted to be trained.

4. The combination with a carriage adapted to move along a skyline as claimed in claim 2, wherein a manually operated member is attached to the pendulum to swing it to release the grip on th skyline.

5. The combination with a carriage adapted to move along a skyline and a movable stop carried by said skyline, said carriage having a line adapted to move the carriage in one direction and a second line adapted to move the carriage in the opposite direction, said stop having a saddle slidable upon the skyline, a shoe mounted below said saddle to coact therewith to grip the skyline, a pendulum swingingly suspended from the saddle to move the shoe relative to the saddle, means associated with the carriage to urge the pendulum to move the shoe to gripping position with th skyline, and spring loaded latching means for releasably connecting the carriage to the stop, said latching means having two cooperating parts, one of said parts being mounted upon the carriage and the second of said parts being mounted on the stop.

6. The combination with a carriage adapted to move upon a skyline and a stop for the carriage as claimed in claim 5 wherein the parts of the latching means are characterized as being a pair of spaced plates having opposed recesses mounted on one of the parts and a support upon the second of said parts having a pair of spaced projections adapted to engage the plates and enter the recesses and a spring for urging the projections into engaging position with the recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 714,278 Bradfield Nov. 25, 1902 1,012,650 Kassebeer Dec. 26, 1911 1,164,628 Ball Dec. 21, 1915 

